Bonne Nuit Amoureux
by CurleyEM
Summary: [I'm going quick chapt 4 now up] I took the idea from the BBC show Goodnight Sweetheart, so if you've seen the show (it's a good one but you prolly haven't) you'd know what to expect. Basically a girl discovers a perfect place for her.
1. Preface

Bonne nuit Amoureux (It's French)  
  
  
  
Alright after what? Like six months, I am finally posting another story. I have the rough outlines of the middle of this one in my head, but its inspiration was a episodic BBC show (Goodnight Sweetheart) so in principle this could go on for quite a while. I have no idea how it will end but I am confidant it will be a good one. This opening part I think could be longer and it leaves thins a little vague but I really believe posting it could light the fire under my butt to keep working on it.  
  
So Spyre, here ya go. Finally another story. 


	2. Suddenly The World Seems Such A Perfect ...

1 Bonne Nuit Amoureux  
  
1.1 Suddenly The World Seems Such A Perfect Place  
  
Valerie couldn't sleep. It was the spring term of her freshman year in college and already she had an immense fear that she would not be able to make it afterward. She didn't have a job at school and she didn't have any money saved for the future. All the money she had earned, had gone towards her recent obsession; Moulin Rouge. She felt so ignorant having spent so much of her time and money on a movie. A piece of fiction based on bits of fact, but not in itself a true story. What was she going to do with an almost infinite amount of knowledge about a fantasy time and place?  
  
She sat up and sighed as she studied her darkened room. Images of movie stars and famous people smiled statically back at her. Although real in the most basic sense of the word, also paper in relation to their presence in her life. She felt as if she knew them but she would only be kidding herself if she really believed that she had a real relationship with any of them. These people, who she knew everything, and yet nothing about, were her life. They were the ones she would want to confide in, not her friends, not that any of them were as close as they should be. It seemed like she would never be close to anyone she spent so much time in the movie theater. Her eyes fell on her clock, it was eleven forty. Valerie squinted her eyes and took a breath in as she thought for a moment. She arrived at her conclusion with a nod of her head, tossed her sheets off and crossed to her dresser to search for a comfortable pair of pants. Unsatisfied with the results she went to her hamper and rooted through till she found her favorite pair of jeans, threw them on as well as a pair of sandals and slipped a red tank over head. The fact that she wore the same outfit the night before didn't faze her as she grabbed for her keys. Shoving a few bucks in her pocket, Valerie quietly opened the door and was out into the warm April night. She quickly made her way to her car, she didn't want to miss the movie.  
  
Pulling into the parking lot Valerie's heart sank, she was almost positive there was a midnight movie tonight, but the lot was empty and the theater was dark. In a last desperate attempt to make sure there was no film, she slowly drove her car around the back. A faint glow to her right caught her eye and she slowed down to almost a stop. It looked like there was a theater down the alley, Maybe the midnight movies have been moved over there she thought. She parked in the lot for the bigger theater and turned off her car.  
  
"The Stairways up to La Bu-"  
  
Her car went silent mid song, and suddenly Valerie was quite aware how loud keys could echo in the absence of other noises. She stepped down from her car and shut the door behind her. Taking a quick look around, the lack of other patrons was a bit unnerving, but then it was very possible she was just a little late. Perhaps everyone is already inside she thought, as she began to walk quickly up to the theater. Then she noticed something she hadn't before, the movie on the marquis was "Moulin Rouge" Valerie stopped dead and drew her breath in a quick and quite audible gasp. She then threw her hands over her mouth in fear that she would do it again and bring the attention of an unwanted stranger. Her eyes quickly darted around in search of any shady characters but none were to be found and she dropped her hands to her side to reveal the smile on her face. She laughed quietly to herself, and in almost a jog, started toward the theater again.  
  
Then it started to rain.  
  
In the distance of a few steps it went from a light sprinkle to a heavy down pour. Tilting her head down and covered it with her hands, Valerie broke into a full run. Her eyes carefully studying the ground as she made her way up to the theater with out looking up. After running for what seemed like too long, Valerie finally stopped and looked up expecting to see the back of the alley after passing the theater but the sight that greeted her eyes was very different. This can't be real she thought Why does the theater look so run down?  
  
But glancing around she noticed she was not where she had been the last time she checked. 


	3. Suddenly It Moves With Such A Perfect Gr...

1 Bonne Nuit Amoureux  
  
1.1 Suddenly It Moves With Such A Perfect Grace  
  
  
  
When had the streets turned to cobblestones? Glancing over her shoulder at where she had come from she could see that she was very lost.  
  
It had stopped raining but Valerie didn't notice, she was a little frightened at the fact that something very strange was going on. Everything looked very turn of the century and she began to wonder if this sneaking suspicion in the back of her mind could possibly be true.  
  
No she thought, I must have simply turned a corner or something. She began stepping backwards, frantically turning her head, searching for something she recognized, when her foot caught in a gutter. Her ankle gave way causing her to fly at the street with no time to put her arms out.  
  
"Shit!"  
  
Tears began to well up in her eyes as she rocked slowly back and forth rubbing her tender injury. What the hell is going on? She thought. Things have defiantly deteriorated, a minute ago she was thrilled that she would be able to see her favorite movie on the big screen, now she was soaking wet, sitting in a gutter, with no idea what is going on. What am I going to do?  
  
She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and then the palm; she had to get a hold of the situation. How can she all of a sudden not know where she is? Looking around again Valerie couldn't help thinking she had been here before, but that was impossible why doesn't she recognize anything? And where the hell is everybody!? Her eyes focused on the center of the street as she held back a new wave of tears. She tried hard to think of a reasonable explanation for what was going on. I can't be lost, I just can't be! There must be some way of getting back to my car, then I can go back to my dorm and just go to bed. Oh, Jesus why did I decide to go out tonight?  
  
Just as she was about to test out her ankle a sound from somewhere caused her to freeze. What the shit was that? Valerie sat motionless, straining to hear where the sound came from. All she needed right now was for some psycho to come and kill her. Then she heard it again, it was coming from in front of her to the right. Her heart was racing and her breathing shallow as tried to make out what was causing the sound. A shadow at the corner of the building in front of her appeared, and seemed to pause for a moment, then began to move slowly toward her. Valerie frantically attempted to get back on her feet but the moment she put weight on her ankle she collapsed back to the street. Tears streamed down her face as she slid backwards as fast as she could to get away from the figure. By now she was in hysterics, everything that had gone wrong had just become too much for her. In a feeble attempt to ward off the approaching stranger she shouted a warning.  
  
"Pl- please don't hur- hurt me! Ju- just go away!" she pleaded  
  
"What?" Came the reply from the stranger as he came out of the shadows. "Hurt you? I don't want to hurt you." He stepped up to Valerie. "I- I was just on my way up to my room when I heard someone yell." He pointed behind him toward the building. "I came to check to see if you were all right."  
  
Valerie wiped her eyes with her hand again, now they were dirty from crawling backwards on the street and she tried unsuccessfully to avoid smudging the dirt on her face. She was still a bit teary eyed.  
  
"Pl- please," She gesticulated "I just want to go home. I don't know how I got here and I'm lost and I fell and-"  
  
"Shh shh calm down" The man took a handkerchief out of his pocket and knelt beside Valerie to wipe her face. "It's alright."  
  
Her blurry eyes began to clear up and she finally could see this man clearly. One look, and her heart began to pound in her chest. 


	4. Suddenly My Life Doesn't Seem Such A Was...

1 Bonne Nuit Amoureux  
  
1.1 Suddenly My Life Doesn't Seem Such A Waste  
  
  
  
"Oh My God!" Valerie drew back and put her hands over her mouth.  
  
"Look you're getting more dirt on your face" The man took her hands and pulled them away.  
  
Valerie ripped her hands from his grip and backed off even more. "Holy Fuck! No way! You can't be…"  
  
"I can't be what? I was only trying to help. Look, I'm sorry if I scared you but-"  
  
Valerie cut him off "Where am I?"  
  
"Where are you? You're sitting in a gutter, that's where you are. Here, you're obviously upset and cold and tired let me take you up to my garret." The man went to help Valerie up.  
  
She pushed him away. "Your garret? Fuck me, please don't tell me you live in a garret"  
  
The man stood up defensively "Excuse me? I was simply trying to help you. I don't understand what's wrong. I mean, you should be glad I found you, anyone else might not have been so nice."  
  
Valerie straightened herself up and looked him in the eye. "Are we in Paris?"  
  
The stranger looked extremely confused "Of course, where else would we be?"  
  
"No way." Valerie started looking around frantically. "Look I don't know what's going on but I can not be in Paris and you can not be Christian."  
  
The stranger squinted his eyes at her and cocked an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"  
  
"Christian! Christian! That is your name isn't it?" Valerie rambled hysterically on "And you live in a garret across from the Moulin Rouge… an- and you're a poet a- and in 1899 the summer of love, you traveled from London to be a part of the Bohemian revolution. Ring any bells!?"  
  
The man began backing away "Look I don't understand what happened to you or why you know all that about me-"  
  
Valerie threw her hands up in the air "Oh God it is true!? No. No this can't be real, there must be some explanation. I have to get out of here, I just want to go back to my dorm."  
  
She tried to stand up again but fell right back down, this time hitting her head on the street knocking her out. Christian stood still for a moment studying the scene. He was a bit torn, this crazy girl who came out of nowhere and confused him greatly, was now unconscious. He could either leave her there, which he knew he could never do, or take her up to his apartment and nurse her wounds. There was no question that although she was a bit odd, there was also a mysterious quality about her. Why was she dressed so oddly and how did she know his name and history? He cautiously approached Valerie's still form and knelt down to see if she wasn't seriously injured from her fall. Confident that he would not add to her condition by moving her, Christian lifted her up off the street and brought her up to his garret.  
  
He placed her in his bed and removed her odd sandals. He then went to his sink and brought back a damp cloth to clean the small cut Valerie received as a result of her fall. Afterward he took another cool cloth and wrapped it around her ankle. He then covered her with his blanket and went to get one for himself from the closet so he could sleep on the floor. When he returned and couldn't find a spot on the floor with out clutter, he realized that perhaps he'd better clean up. This girl may be a bit mad, but he would still rather not like to present the appearance of a slob.  
  
He didn't used to be so messy, it was just…after Satine died….he saw no point in impressing anyone. He used to be a lot worse though, that's for sure. So many nights he would pass out in the corner after drinking himself stupid. After he finished the book he did start to care a bit more, but he was never the same again.  
  
He placed the blanket on his chair by the window and began to pile his laundry in the corner out of sight. He then went through the rest of his room and tidied up. After about thirty-five minutes of organizing he was finally satisfied with the appearance of his garret. In fact he was quite proud of it, this was the cleanest it had been since, well since Satine was alive. Oh how had he let himself waste away? Surely he had the right to be happy again, and he does allow himself to have a laugh every now and then, but there is this feeling that always haunts him. It was almost as if he was the only one keeping the spirit of Satine alive, and if he moved on, she would be gone forever.  
  
He walked to his window and leaned against the frame as he glanced across to the Moulin Rouge. His eyes didn't focus on anything as he drifted away in thought. Softly and slowly he began to sing:  
  
"I hope you don't mind……….I hope you don't mind………. that I put down in words-"  
  
But it wasn't Christian that finished the song, in a whisper that he could barely hear came the response from Valerie  
  
"How wonderful life is……..now you're in the world"  
  
Christian spun around almost instantaneously. He had completely forgotten she was even there. He narrowed his eyes and slowly approached his bed. He wanted to ask her how she could possibly know his song but she was still asleep. Things were getting very strange now, this girl knew many things that were impossible to know and Christian had no idea how. This chance meeting seemed a bit more meaningful now. Where was this girl from? How had she come to be here?  
  
He sat down on the side of the bed and brushed the hair away from her face. This girl was special and she seemed much less crazy now that she was asleep. Valerie stirred and opened her eyes briefly.  
  
She smiled and whispered "Christian." Then she nuzzled her head back into the pillow and was asleep again.  
  
Christian sat there for a moment, studying her face then he stood up slowly, so as not to wake her and went to his chair and picked up his blanket. He glanced out the window as he passed it again. He could tell that this girl as going to change things in his life. Perhaps she will help him answer questions that he couldn't figure out on his own. He laid his blanket out on his newly cleared floor and tried to get comfortable on the hard wood. Tomorrow should be an interesting day. 


End file.
